Growing Up Chi

16/08/2024

He drove drunk 30 years ago.
He pleaded guilty.
Walz reported the incident to his principal.
Resigned from his coaching position and offered to quit his teaching job.
The principal talked him into staying on as a teacher.
Walz told his students about what happens if one gets caught for drinking and driving.
He stopped drinking.
He taught thousands of kids.
As governor he helped millions more.

30 years ago Tim Walz did something stupid. Nobody was hurt and nothing was damaged.

SO. FU***NG. WHAT.

15/08/2024

My Chicago friends,

In just a few days our beautiful city is going to host an historic event. If you are planning to take part, please have a great time. If you are planning to protest peacefully, please keep it peaceful. In any event there will be bad actors out there so if you see something, SAY something.

Don't wait.
Don't second guess yourself.
DO NOT try to go and see if you are right.
DO NOT walk up to anyone and ask anything.
Keep it moving.
Pick up the phone and call.
Tell them exactly what you saw.
Tell them exactly where you were when you saw it.

Safety is EVERYONE'S responsibility...Intervening is NOT yours. As the old folks would say, "You better call somebody."

07/07/2024

The good thing about stumbling is the surprise of just who reaches out to help you up.

04/07/2024

Today is like their January 6th.

04/07/2024

Now my brain would like to p**s most of you off. Please keep in mind that I do my best to control the parts of my brain that enjoy p**sing people off. This has been an ongoing fight since my very first day of school. Most times I win but every once in a while....okay more than that but now and then the brain wins so here it is:

The fact of the matter is that there is an argument to be made that The Court has been overstepping for Decades. Forget about abortion or voting rights or racism for a moment. Consider two simple things Miranda and the Exclusionary Rule.

If you don't know about Miranda Rights then get off your parent's Facebook account and go back to bed, please. For those of you unfamiliar with the Exclusionary Rule, it goes like this:

The Constitution doesn't say ANYTHING AT ALL about excluding evidence because it was obtained illegally. Wait, hang on. I'm not saying...I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF USING ILLEGALLY OBTAI..would you PLEASE!!! (Sigh)

The Fourth Amendment exists because the framers of The Constitution had just fought a war against people who regularly and unjustly violated their privacies. The Fourth Amendment was meant to codify the idea that one will be secure in their possessions and property in this country absent REASONABLE suspicion (and in many cases a warrant).

But words on a page without oversight of ex*****on mean NOTHING. From the year the Constitution was ratified (1789) until 1914, The Court did NOTHING about the wanton violation of The Fourth Amendment. The Judicial Branch WAITED for its siblings to DO THEIR JOBS.

That means that for 125 years, American citizens had a hollow Fourth Amendment Right. Then Weeks v United States came along and The Court had seen enough. It stepped in. Since that ruling millions of Americans have been protected not by legislation but by judicial precedent.

Look I think it's right that The Fourth Amendment be upheld and that citizens of The United States of America be protected from unreasonable search and seizure by the police. But should that be the job of The Court or should we DEMAND that our elected officials get off their "...you know, you know whats..." (You either saw the speech or you didn't) and author legislation that protects the very basic ideals of freedom and Democracy?

Do I like this Court's rulings on matters of body autonomy and Presidential immunity and a lot of other stuff? No. But what if the message behind these rulings isn't "We don't care about the Republic." ? What if the message, the subtext of all of this is, "Things will always be this fragile until the centrists work together to elect a Congress that will write legislation to sustain and strengthen the forces of liberty, inclusivity and freedom." ?

I'm not saying that's what The Court is saying. I'm saying what IF all they're saying is, "Yeah, those are nice freedoms you have there but WE weren't supposed to be giving them to you...The Congress IS."

I'm just thinkin'

04/07/2024

Can you imagine what would have happened if there were another Trumper on The Court?

Elections have consequences.

Vote for Joe!!

27/06/2024

This year I am asking folks to look for part time work in Progressive political organizations. You don't have to volunteer, you can get paid for your time but PLEASE try to help. This year we are up against some real grassroots PAID conservative boots on the ground in places like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania,Ohio, Georgia and more.

We are knocking on doors, making phone calls, registering voters and sending emails 7 days a week. We need your help...or your buddy's help.

Come make some money and make some CHANGE!!!

Join our team ofprogressivecampaigners and organizers   Apply Now The Outreach Team is a collection of world-class organizers, campaigners, strategists, techies, and systems builders. Our team’s success and wellbeing is essential to the work we do. That’s why we invest in our people with indust...

16/06/2024

Happy Father's Day to all the non-idiots out there!!

15/06/2024

14/06/2024

If you are facilitating a training and you do not have it scripted/outlined ahead of time, you are The Devil.
Yes, you are.

14/06/2024

Dear App developers,

For the most part, we are good. If you would please consider that when you have those little "To Do" numbers that remind folks there is something left to be done within the app, you kind of have a responsibility to make sure that the thing to be done in order to make the little number(s) go away is fairly obvious.

See some people (not me, of course) can't really go on with their day until those damn little numbers are gone. To some people (not anyone I know) those numbers are kind of like if your brain got washed in fiberglass.

You gotta help!!

13/06/2024

Okay, did I attend the only grade school on earth or something? The withholding on your check is equal to your income tax liability if you calculate correctly and don't have any other income. Sales Taxes are local and state wide. And if your children are paying any estate tax at all, that means you were able to leave them (As of 2024) OVER $13.61 MILLION dollars. They pay nothing until $13.62.

If your kids can't make life work on 13 million bucks then they are stupid and you were a sh*tty parent. Plus they are only liable for 40% in taxes at that point. They still get to split 60% of the estate AFTER 13 million. It's how we pay for stupid things like roads, hospitals and teaching people to read and cure cancer, that's all.

eff off!!

13/06/2024

I keep coming back to that last word.

See, Trump can't have it both ways. Either he is as smart as he says he is or he isn't. If he isn't then he's fu***ng delusional and this is a pointless conversation. But if he is then the word "...Again" is exactly the dog whistle it sounds like.

I am a smart black man. If I had a time machine I would either destroy it or loan it to one of my white friends so they could...Nah, I'd destroy it. My white friends are mostly super liberal or really conservative and since I don't wanna wake up in a communist nation anymore than I wanna wake up in a Jim Crow one, I'd have to destroy the time machine.

See, going back really isn't a good idea for anyone who isn't straight, white, male and rich or willing to kill to get rich. That's something that's always perplexed me about MAGA women. They do know that marital r**e (Also known as just plain r**e) was only illegal in all 50 states after 1994, right? Until then there were still states in which a husband could legally force his wife to have s*x. "...Again"? REALLY?

I know there are some Black people and People of Color who are behind Trump. Two things: Not all Black people or People of Color think alike AND Not all Black people or People of Color read books and study history. The 14th Amendment which basically nullifies Dred Scott v Sandford (1857) is something that Trump is vehemently arguing to redefine. F**K THAT!!!

"...Again"?

SERIOUSLY!!!?!?!?

Trump has stated over and over again that he is a master marketer and promoter. That word IS meant to be inclusive. It's a word that sounds good to decent, well meaning Republicans who are not racist, s*xist or homophobic at all. But it is also a word that invites people who are all three of those things into the Republican Party in a way that they haven't been in decades.

Some may remember the 2008 race when a sweet looking older lady got up and called then candidate Obama an "...Arab". McCain, ever the patriot, took the mic from her and told her that his opponent was a decent family man etc. Many in the Republican Party felt that doing that pretty much guaranteed his loss. By not giving these people who felt marginalized and afraid a space to be heard, McCain ensured that he would not become President.

I'm going to say something I'm not supposed to say. Racism is being marginalized in this country. Apathy IS being marginalized in this country. Not caring about how the joke you wanna tell at the water cooler is going to land with your co-workers IS being marginalized in this country. If you feel like more and more you have to take care when you speak out loud in public, you're right. You aren't imagining it. Guess what? You were always supposed to do that. There is no Constitutional provision for p**sing people off and then still keeping your friends or job or...whatever. Fill in the blank.

Hell SNL has no such protection either. If they run a sketch that alienates 60% of their regular viewing audience there are going to be some hard conversations following that. The GOVERNMENT is prohibited from obstructing your speech. A private company can tell you not to speak on their property or while in their employ.

You don't feel free...Well unlike Newt and the like I AM comfortable telling any American who isn't in prison or on parole or probation that regardless of how you feel you ARE, in fact, amongst the freest people in all of the industrialized world. But you are only free from government constraints. You are not free in this or really any society, from the ridicule, criticism or reprisal of friends, family, co-workers or supporters.

All of those groups are also free...to employ you, love you, hang out with you and support you....or not. But none of that is the real point.

The real point is that America isn't a memory, it's a hope...a promise really. America is the promise that we can overcome our past not celebrate parts we like while religiously practicing ignorance regarding the parts that suck.

Our jobs as Americans, our mandate is to move stretch forward towards a "...more perfect union..." not to look back and try to recreate something that was good for us only. I believe in the future of this country. I believe that as bad as a lot of our history is, there is redemption in tomorrow. And I believe that we cannot find our best future in yesterday.

Why not just make it Great...but for everyone this time?

08/06/2024

DUDE!! Dr. Leonard McCoy is a straight up bigot. "Green blooded hobgoblin." I mean damn.

08/06/2024

Anyone who tells you that keeping a job, ANY job, in network television for over 4 DECADES is easy is simply proving to you that they have never worked in network television, don't know anyone who has worked in network television and they really enjoy talking out of their ass. I didn't watch a whole lot of "Wheel Of Fortune" over the years but when I did watch it, I couldn't help but stay until the end.

I never met Pat Sajak but he did what only successful hosts do. He made people feel welcome and he gave the impression that he genuinely appreciated you for stopping by and spending some time with him. Like Merv and Dick and Johnny it was a mixture of a spoonful of sincere humility, a pinch honest charm and generous helpings of dad jokes.

Congratulations on a great ride, sir. Have fun with whatever you do next!!

07/06/2024

Start your day with a moment of zen:

Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Thursday moved to liquidate his personal assets, agreeing to demands from the families of Sandy Hook victims whom he owes more than $1.5 billion in damages over his lies about the 2012 school massacre.

05/06/2024

The next time you hear someone say "Very Unique.", PLEASE slap them in the face as hard as you can.

05/06/2024

The two in one washer/dryer looks really cool but it kind of reminds me of the old TV/VCRs...If something goes haywire with one then you kind of lose both.

In Other News:

Please tell me I don't know anyone who is participating in this ridiculous Return The Shopping Cart or Don't Return The Shopping Cart "Debate".

And Also:

Parenting is such a freakin' gamble. I mean you could do everything right and your kid could still end up a cat burglar or voting for Trump.

02/06/2024

Dear MAGA nation (Not Actual Republicans),

I'm really trying not to call names but...I really don't know where to start. You're comparing Donald TRUMP to the SON OF GOD!!?! Are you Christians the way Dr. Pepper is a doctor? It's just not even...you people seriously NEED JESUS, not trump, JESUS...you NEED HIM...TODAY...RIGHT NOW.

Sincerely,

Actual Christians, Wisdom, Uncommon Sense and Intelligence

25/05/2024

I don't care if Joe Biden campaigns in a wheelchair, I WILL NOT vote for someone whose campaign staff retweets a commercial featuring him that uses the words "...unified reich..."!!

There weren't good and bad people on both sides.
Yes, I would love it if the President denounced racism every day.
He isn't making mistakes.
He is telling us who he is.
And I BELIEVE him!!!

MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE!!!
NOW!!!!!!!!

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/plan-your-vote-2024-elections-every-state-rcna125363?language=english&state=VA&election=state-primary-election

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/24/media/trump-unified-reich/index.html

The phrase “unified Reich,” which appeared in a video posted by the Trump campaign and caused a firestorm of controversy, appears to have originated as placeholder text in a collection of video templates created in 2023 by a 30-year-old Turkish freelance graphic designer.

20/05/2024

I'm watching "The Truth v Alex Jones" and forget jail, we need to start sentencing some of these folks to SCHOOL!!

19/05/2024

You know what Harrison, thanks for helping me out with who to stay away from. OI appreciate it, bro...and I mean "bro" in the WORST way.

17/05/2024

Forget what he said and LOOK UP the place he was invited to speak. He was telling them EXACTLY what they wanted to hear. People are looking at this recording the wrong way. The thing to be angry about isn't just what he said, it's the people dedicated to the way he thinks who rose to their feet at the end of this anti-inclusion rant.

Benedictine College has a strategic plan for "Transforming culture in America". How the f**k is that not frightening?!?!?

A bunch of straight, white men who talk about loving God and "Don't mind" if women work outside the home but really believe that her "Best life" is as a mother and a wife...

I mean seriously all he needed to do was drop an N bomb and we would have been at a Klan rally. I know some people will see that as an over extension of what he was saying but I don't. Sexism*, Homophobia, Transphobia and Racism are OLD buddies. They LOVE to hang out together and where you see one, the others are present. They may be silent or quiet for now but they are always there just waiting for the opportunity to show out.

Look at Benedictine College's website. I'm telling you, whoever recorded that wasn't doing it for us to look at him but for us to look at them:

https://transforming.benedictine.edu/strategic-plan/formation

*If you don't know that his speech was s*xist...I mean COME ON?!!?

10/05/2024

DEAR POLICE: STOP SHOOTING INNOCENT BLACK PEOPLE...JUST STOP.

"He had a gun."
-He was in his house. I've knocked on hundreds of doors in the Mid-West and the South and sometimes people answer their door with a gun in their hand. It happens.

"But he knew it was the cops so why answer the door with a gun?"
-F**k you. Your second amendment is supposed to be everyone's second amendment. If cops are so afraid of people being able to carry guns then they should work in...well they shouldn't.

This cop needs to be fired immediately and the city owes this family millions of dollars and a commitment to better train its officers.

The video shows the deputy knocking and twice identifying himself as a member of the sheriff’s office, before Senior Airman Roger Fortson opens the door and is shot.

08/05/2024

Chokers weird me out. It's like the person is being strangled by an inanimate object and makes me think I'm trapped in a horror movie.

30/04/2024

If you are ever feeling stupid, realize that I didn't understand that Nixon's "Plumbers" were thusly named because they were tasked with investigating and stopping leaks.

09/04/2024

BOOM!! Ignore your kids at your own peril.

06/02/2024

04/02/2024

It’s 9:46 and I am still in bed…

06/11/2022

Cooley High | Growing Up CHI

This week on Growing Up CHI, Comedian Ronnie Ray and Khristian Leslie discuss the classic Chicago movie Cooley High starring Glynn Turnman and Lawrence Hilto...